(MYBBSB) President Andy Prestash announced that the organization would offer Challenger Division baseball starting with the spring of 2018. The Challenger Division season would play in April and would run through June.

“Our goal is to provide an opportunity for every child to play the game of baseball,” Prestash said. “The addition of Challenger baseball will allow Middletown Youth Baseball and Softball to expand that opportunity for children with special needs.”

Established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League, the Challenger Division provides boys and girls with physical and developmental challenges to be part of the game of baseball by playing and being part of a team. Children between the ages of 4 and 18 or up to 22 if still enrolled in high school, are eligible to play. More than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.

The registration fee will be set at $25 per player.

The season will include a midweek practice and at least one game scheduled each week. While the Division is in the startup stages, the goal will be to provide as many playing opportunities for players during the eight-week season.